Strategies for a Fulfilling Career
Debra Le Claire
From the Fall 2007
Issue of Applaud Magazine

Since we often express our life’s purpose through our work-life, our dreams frequently include brilliant careers with jobs that would get us joyfully jumping out of bed every morning.  To create movement that brings you into full expression of your desires, it is key to shift into positive mental and emotional spaces. Having a positive outlook will inspire action and open you to attracting dream opportunities that seem to “just fall into your lap” with little effort. But how do you even start to get into those positive mental and emotional states? Fortunately, there is specific psychological and spiritual technowwlogy that you can access.   Jerry and Ester Hicks, authors of The Law of Attraction and Ask and It is Given, talk about a theory of an Emotional Guidance System. (Incidentally, Oprah always keeps the latter book on her nightstand.) Its basic premise is that along a continuum, we experience our emotions based on how aligned our thoughts are with our higher purpose  (a.k.a. our life’s dreams).   The theory is that feeling bad means you are having thoughts that are pulling you away from your alignment with your higher purpose.  BUT instead, we almost always interpret  “I feel scared/ undeserving/overwhelmed,” to mean, “I am wrong to think that I can actually have what I want.”  To further elaborate on the theory, those bad feelings should actually be recognized as signals that you are no longer in touch with your underlying truth.  While you might feel undeserving to have that amazing job, consider how your experience, skills, caring, investment and passion combined with your unique essence, has brought you to this fabulous job where you will best serve others with your knowledge and abilities.  Just know that when you are serving others to your highest degree is when you will find yourself most fulfilled. For many of us, accepting this idea and living it, is like going from 0-60 in 2 seconds—it’s just too big of a jump.  So how do we move into the pull of our dreams and into stronger alignment with our higher purpose?  The first step is to start exactly where you are and become more aware of your most negative thoughts.  As you do that, you can begin to ask yourself, “What’s a better thought than the one I am catching myself having right now?”  Example: First thought:  I hate my job and I can’t get out. Better thought:  I am in a boring, dead-end job where I have learned some skills that I want to shift into something more challenging. An even better thought:  My job is at least easy, so I can focus my mental energy on doing what I need to move forward. A thought better than the last:  I can make a list of resources to help me find a more fulfilling job.   Debra LeClair Psy.D is a life/business coach, psychologist and consultant who partners with schools, businesses and individuals to create positive and sustainable change.  Debra helps those seeking work/life balance, enhanced communications skills, career satisfaction and increased prosperity.  For more information, visit www.fullspectrumwellness.com and click on Life Coaching or call 603-296-0830 x2.